From Miami to Manhattan, new ACFCS Chapters connecting, training professionals on fraud trends

The Association of Certified Financial Crime Specialists thrives on its worldwide community of professionals dedicated to eradicating financial crime.

To cultivate a more active community on a regional level, ACFCS members have launched chapters, allowing professionals to gather locally to network and learn together. New York and South Florida chapters launched this year, establishing communities of ACFCS members in two of the most important centers for finance and financial crime issues.

The New York Chapter, which launched in June 2014, has already had two events gathering members for networking and training. The latest event, held at the Barbri offices in Manhattan, was the first of the New York Chapter speaker series.

The New York Chapter welcomed Jim Harper, Global Policy Counsel for the Bitcoin Foundation, as a speaker at the Nov. 12 event, addressing the promise and financial crime perils in virtual currencies. Recent law enforcement actions against black market websites like Silk Road and Liberty Reserve, as well as regulatory guidance issued on Bitcoin in the US and other jurisdictions, made this topic a vital issue to cover. Harper discussed the various risks and innovative possibilities that Bitcoin and other virtual currencies hold for the financial system.

The South Florida Chapter was launched in October and is already generating momentum in the Miami – Fort Lauderdale area among professionals who deal with financial crime. Since the region is known as a high-risk area for fraud and money laundering, South Floridian members of the chapter were eager to hear from an authoritative speaker on the trends affecting the region.

On Nov. 17, Supervisory Special Agent for the Federal Bureau of Investigation, David Nanz, spoke at the first event of the chapter’s speaker series. The FBI agent, who works in the Miami field office, has managed hundreds of financial crime cases, from foreclosure fraud schemes to health insurance fraud. With vivid anecdotes, he explained a long list of fraud risks in the region.

From a law enforcement perspective, Nanz highlighted the importance of cross-discipline collaboration with financial institutions and the public to curtail financial crime. Attendees, from lawyers to bankers to real estate agents, were taken aback by the astonishing cases that have been intercepted in South Florida, an area with certain unique risks due to the confluence of cultures, some of which feel little remorse for defrauding the government or large auto insurance companies.

The New York and South Florida Chapter Boards are currently in the process of laying out their programming for the 2015 season, more speakers, training and networking activities planned. Those interested in joining a chapter do not have to be current ACFCS members, and can receive special rates in combined membership packages.

See the links below to learn more about the South Florida and New York chapters and to become a member. For more details on starting an ACFCS chapter in your city or region, or to sponsor or support an upcoming chapter event, please email Daniela Guzman at dguzman@acfcs.org.